The Money-Obssessed Archmage's Second Life As A Broke Duke-Chapter 47 - Kitsune or Fox Woman?
Chapter Fourty Seven
"Take me."
"Pardon, Your Grace?" Garrow blinked. He looked at me as if I’d finally lost the last of my sanity.
I’m really losing my patience with these people.
[Ping!]
[But, Host has a lot of patience with women. Isn’t that right, Host?]
You’re overreacting, Sysi.
"Take me to where you have kept the other families," I repeated, my voice tight. The exhaustion was making the edges of my vision fray. "With all the ones able to fight here, there’s no one to protect the rest. We must bring them here safely. Hurry and lead the way."
Garrow’s gaze flickered to the path where his men were being ushered. "But it’s too late, Your Grace. Just the two of us going there... what if some monster shows up? The mountain wolves are bold this time of year."
"What if some monster shows up at your base!?" I snapped, stepping closer, making the hair on his arms stand up. "There’s no one to protect the people, Garrow."
Garrow flinched, but he held his ground. "Your Grace... please don’t worry. I’m not that dumb. There are some bandits left behind to protect the ones that cannot fight. Plus, there has been no such incidents till now where the beasts are stronger than ones we can handle."
"Do you not understand the gravity of the situation? You, the strongest person to defend them, is here. We must hurry and go," I countered, ignoring the way my legs felt like they were made of jelly. "Considering you came down here to rob food, they must be starving. We cannot leave them another night in the dark with empty bellies. We go at once."
[Ping!]
[Garrow’s Likability: 40]
[380 Gacha Points Awarded!]
[Garrow’s Loyalty: 40]
[20,000 Trade Points Awarded!]
He’s the most easiest character to raise points with, huh.
[Ping!]
[It’s not easy. You are just doing the right thing.]
Maybe.
[Ping!]
[Eatassh’s Likability : 55]
[500 Gacha Points Awarded!]
[Kaelen’s Likability : 50]
[40 Gacha Points Awarded!]
[Total Gacha Points: 1000]
"Garrow, lead. Or move aside so I can find them myself."
Garrow let out a ragged breath that turned to mist. "I... I understand. If the Duke is willing to risk his life for my people, I would be a poor leader to refuse. This way, Your Grace."
---
"Unghh... Help."
My ears perked up at the soft, feminine voice drifting through the frigid air. Garrow turned back, looking at me with confusion. "What happened, Your Grace? You stopped?"
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what, Your Grace?"
"A female voice."
Garrow tilted his head, his ears straining against the wind. "No, Your Grace. Only the wind against the pines."
Are my ears ringing? Or have they grown more sensitive because of the mana circuit?
[Ping!]
[They must be ringing. It’s a natural symptom for a womanizer.]
Sysi, I didn’t do anything.
"Please... Save me..."
The voice was faint, vibrating in the dark along with a sweet smell like strawberry lingering in the air.
No... My ears are not ringing someone is in danger.
"Garrow!" I snapped, my eyes sharpening as I scanned the shadows.
"Yes, Your Grace?"
"Follow me."
"But, Your Grace-"
I didn’t wait for him to agree. I pivoted away from the main trail, my boots sinking into the untouched snow.
[Ping!]
[Garrow’s Likability : 30 (Dropping)]
Hah... Humans are truly fickle.
Crunch! Crunch!
I ignored the screen and pushed through a dense thicket of brambles, the thorns catching on my coat, but I didn’t feel the sting.
Ugh... The smell of blood is getting stronger.
I burst into a small clearing as the scene in front of me made my feet grow roots.
There, slumped against a moss-covered boulder, was a woman who looked like she had been carved from moonlight.
What is a Kitsune doing here?
Her long, silky white hair spilled over her shoulders and two large, fluffy fox ears twitching atop her head that made my breath hitch. Behind her, a thick, luxurious tail was lying limp in the snow. Her pristine fur matted with mud and streaks of crimson.
Ah... It’s not a Kitsune. It’s a beastkin. A fox woman.
The foxwoman’s clothes were barely hanging on her frame. The fabric had been shredded as it revealed the porcelain curve of a shoulder and the frantic rise and fall of her chest.
The cold had turned her skin into a translucent marble, making the deep gash along her thigh look all the more horrific. Her breasts were straining against the remnants of her bodice with every struggling breath she took.
[Ping!]
[Get your eyes off of her, Host!]
Sysi, she’s injured. Can you stop this? What has happened to you?
...
Ugh! Great! Here we go again.
"Ungh... Hungh... Help me..."
The foxwoman murmured as her eyes closed. The sweet scent of strawberries filling the air, masking the iron tang of her blood as I watched her body go limp.
"Grrrr..."
Low, guttural snarls vibrated through the air filling my ears, tearing my eyes from the foxwoman.
Five mountain wolves with eyes glowing from hunger, were circling her. They were closing the gap, their breath huffing out in thick white clouds, ready to tear into the soft, defenseless prey.
"Garrow?"
"Your Grace."
"Kill them all."
Garrow didn’t hesitate this time. The hesitation he’d shown earlier vanished while following me as I changed the path we were on. He was a knight, after all.
Shiinnggg!
"With pleasure, Your Grace."
Steel flashed in the moonlight.
Garrow moved like a veteran who’d fought in worse places than frozen forests. The first wolf lunged and died before its paws even left the ground, Garrow’s blade cutting a clean arc through the air. Snow sprayed as the body skidded to a halt.
He took care of the rest in the same manner. It barely took him two minutes to deal with five wolves.
Haah... Is he fighting wolves or making instant noodles?
"It’s done, Your Grace," Garrow panted, wiping flecks of blood from his face.
"And the woman?" I asked, staring at the face that was slowly turning pale.
"Her breathing is erratic, but she should stabilize after first aid. My daughter has a way with medicine, she can treat her."
I nodded toward the carcasses. "Gather the wolves. Their fur is valuable. You’ve lived here long enough. Is their meat edible?"
"Yes, Your Grace. Though it’s quite chewy. And, it’s rare to come across them at the foot of the peaks."
"Hmmmmm... Take it for the bandit families. Can you carry all five?"
"I can, Your Grace."
"Good."
"And the foxwoman, Your Grace?" Garrow asked, glancing at the slumped figure. "Who will carry her?"
"I will carry the foxwoman," I sighed, stepping toward her. "We can’t let her die."
[Ping!]
[Garrow’s Likability: 50]
[200 Gacha Points Awarded!]
